Arcade AU
by tavrosphile
Summary: Felix must find a job, but what happens when his co worker falls for him? And what happens when they find out their boss is evil? RALPH/FELIX pairing included.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors note: My second fic! An AU where Ralph and Felix work in an arcade owned by king candy. Stay tuned for more, and I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! This is a Ralph/Felix story btw, but there will be a storyline and feature the other characters all well.**

* * *

Felix was pushed from his door, out into the warm summer air. "Pops! Why did you do that?" He called back to his father, whom had become known around town as 'fix it Felix sr.'.

His father appeared in the doorway, staring his son down sternly. Their blue eyes met each-others, and he ran a gloved hand through his graying hair. "Listen Felix; I know you just love staying inside and playing your video games all day, but if you don;t want to go to school to carry on the carpenter tradition in this family, you'll need to get a job." He said with a stern face, throwing his son a newspaper.

Felix fumbled with it in his hands clumsily, "C'mon pops!" he said, putting on his most award winning smile as he approached his father "I mean, I have plenty of time to become a master carpenter! Can't I at least have the summer off?"

His father shook his head, shutting the door behind him. He pushed past his son and opened the door to his work van, "Son, you'll never inherit the Golden Hammer repair company if you keep up that slacker attitude" He straightened his hat and smiled to himself "Besides; you're a fix it man. Made to bring joy and swift repairs to everyone in need!" He said, grabbing his toolbox proudly "Besides; you wouldn't want to end up like your uncle Gene would you?"

Yeesh, he had to bring up Felix's tawdry uncle. "Oh sir, I'd never stoop to such levels!" He exclaimed, picturing his drunken uncle sitting in his living room all day barking out at anyone who walked near him. No siree; Felix most certainly did not want to become one of THOSE men.

"Good." Said his father, shutting the door and starting his engine. "I marked a few prime job offers for you on that there newspaper...and hey, Jr." He said, motioning to his son.

"Yes papa?" asked a timid Felix.

"I know you can do it!" Said his father, before peeling out of his driveway and driving off to wherever he was needed. He was an intense but kind man.

The younger Fix-it sat down on his front porch in front of Niceland condominiums; The building where him and most of his family lived. It was situated in the suburbs of a sprawling city; known for its multibillion dollar hotel industries and bustling business area. Felix however cared nothing for this. He was a simple young man, just out of highschool, trying to find a way in life to help as many people as possible.

He sighed, an looked through his bedroom window. He could still see his old NES system turned on in front of his TV; he didn't care how old it got; everytime it broke he just fixed it and kept on playing...It was his favorite console, after all.

But playing video games wouldn't help him out of this situation. "Well- looks like I finally have to get crackin on this whole thing..." He said, as he forced himself up and straightened his collar. He took one last deep breath of the woodsy air that blew in from the niceland forest that surrounded his apartment, thankful that they weren't burning garbage in the nearby landfill today. The sweet smell gave him the confidence he needed, and with a swift hop, he bounced off the steps of his porch and raced down the streets to find a career,

* * *

7:39 PM; and no luck so far. Felix had been here, there, everywhere looking for work.

He rested on a park bench, burying his face into his hands. "Jiminy jaminy, I'm a failure! What's poppop going to think of me when i go back home unemployed and empty pocketed."

He glared at the newspaper his father had given him; he had gone to every single location on the list, and at every one been told every position was filled. He huffed and tightened his fist around the newspaper, standing up to throw it to the ground...then stopped.

Felix rolled his eyes and sighed, opening the newspaper again and straightening it neatly and setting it back down "Sorry little guy..." he whispered. Felix hated showing any signs of aggression, and felt intense guilt whenever he mistreated anyone- or anything for that matter (yes, even newspapers)

He stared at the help wanted section again, making sure he had exhausted every possible option. Nope; not a job in sight. But he still couldn't go home empty handed, so he opened up his cell phone and began dialing the one person he was never really in a particular mood to talk to;

His ex girlfriend.

"What's your status, soldier?" She said, bellowing over the phone

Felix chuckled a little "Oh, Tamora...always so serious about your army motif..."

She barked back "This is no motif civilian... Now state your business, before i cut this line."

He swallowed hard, she was so intense and intimidating...especially since the breakup...but he knew she had connections; everyone in the city loved her and her family for forming a neighborhood watch. Ever since the Calhouns took Niceland by storm; the crimerate had dropped 50%.

"Listen, Tamora..." He began.

"That's SERGEANT to you." She said, commandingly.

"O-Ok... Sergeant Calhoun...I was wondering if perhaps you could, oh, I don't know, say, use some of your connections to help me get a job?" He begged, stuttering and stammering the entire way through the sentence.

"hmm." She paused, and took a deep breath "That would be a negatory, soldier."

Felix gasped, practically dropping the phone "P-Please don't be that way! Listen. Tamora...I know we have our differences but...Oh, I just can't have papa seeing me as a failure... Come on, this is my one chance to show him that his high hopes for me aren't in vain!"

"My services don't come free.." She coo'd through the phone.

"That's fine!" Felix squeaked, knowing he didn't have any money to give her, he decided he would try to fib his way through it. "What's your price?"

She chuckled, "50 dollars. And don't think you can weasel your way out of it, soldier, I will be on you like white on rice at very paycheck you get..." Her voice deepened. "So we got ourselves a deal?"

Practically ripping out his hair, Felix sighed "Yes, yes! of course! Thank you so much Tammy..." He said.

"Don't talk to your superior that way!" She commanded. "Now, listen close soldier... There's only one job I know that'd take a tiddly wink like you...You know that big hotel at the center of town?"

"Oh no, you don't mean Sugar rush, do you?" Felix shuddered, that place was huge and noisy, the biggest building for miles. Not only was it a hotel, it was also a 5 star restaurant, an amusement park, a racetrack, and last but most certainly not least; the prized arcade of the city. Now, this wasn't what daunted Felix, it was the man who managed the entire building, The richest man in Niceland; Mr. Candy. But everyone in this town just called him 'the king'.

"You still there Felix?" demanded a bored voice from the other end.

"Yes ma'am...and thank you for the tip. I owe you one." He said, relieved.

"No, you owe me 50 big ones. And don't think this is me trying to get on the good side of you again, I'm a woman with standards..."

"Don't worry, sergeant...That's the last thing on my mind..." Felix said, before hanging up. He rolled his blue eyes at the thought of dating her again, Don't get him wrong, he loved her...Just not in that way. More like in a...Owner-Pet kind of way. As mean as she was she would always still take him out on some of her wilder escapades (Which he usually spent most of his time hiding during) and in exchange, he would repair her broken weaponry. They really were quite a pair of friends.

But now wasn't the time to be talking to himself; he had a job to get.

* * *

He stood in front of the doors to the brightly lit super hotel, swallowing hard. It smelled like burnt candy and liquor, and for a second Felix even considered turning around. But the bus back to his neck of the woods wouldn't be coming for another 40 minutes anyways; and like fun he'd show up back home with no job. "We can do this Felix...Just take a deep breath, and-" he said, before being interrupted by the door slamming open and pushing him back.

"Excuse you, my loyal subject" Said the king in an airy, lithpy voice, frowning up at the young man who had just bumped into him.

Felix's eyes widened, it was the kind himself. He was...much different than he had expected him to look like, to say the least! This man was barely 5 feet off the ground, had two tufts of grey hair at either side of his head, and had, excise his language, the absolute GAUDIEST sense of fashion felix had ever seen in a man. He wore a crown and puffy pants, and had a collar brimmed with the kind of lace you'd see on a doily. But Felix knew this wasn't a man he should be criticizing so he bowed and said "I am SO sorry your highness!" The king seemed to enjoy being called highness, as he smiled, tapping his scepter thoughtfully on the ground. "I- I'm fix it felix junior, sir! and I would love it if you would employ me at your lovely hotel!"

The king laughed, waving his wrist limply at Felix "Which one?" he said before breaking out into a roar of laughter.

Felix chuckled along, trying his hardest to smile.

After his gigglefit ended, the king straightened his bow and stood up straight. "I'm going to be frank with you kid, we only had one position, but it's a bit of a...hassle!" He said, laughing again.

"I will gladly accept whatever you give me, sir!"

With half lidded eyes, the king smirked. "Rise, my new subject, rise! Oh, and call me King Candy from now on." He said, bouncing up and down.

Felix beamed "So..I'm Hired?!"

Another limp wristed wave came form King Candy "Yes, yes... You'll be working in the arcade, passing out soda to the kids! If that's okay with you?"

"Yes sir! I love old style video games! Why in fact, I was just playing one thi-" He was interrupted however by a gloved finger over his lips.

"Yeah yeah kid, whatever. Now! I will be leaving, but please allow my butler to give you the grand tour. OH BILL! SOUR BILL!" Screamed the little man.

Within seconds, a small man with a greenish complexion stepped out of the building, he was no taller than the King had been, but wore a frown to combat his master's never ending smile.

"Give this man here the grand tour...his name is...what's your name, son?"

The wannabe carpenter stood up straight, trying to sound as prideful as possible "Fix it Felix Jr. Sir!"

"uh huh...Now; give our new employee the grand tour! He'll be working in the arcade." Motioned the king, wrapping an arm around his servant.

Sour Bill sighed. "Right this way, sir..." He said, motioning for the young man to follow him inside.

Felix was about to turn around to thank his new boss, but the little man had already jumped into his limo and sped off. The fast pace of the situation was starting to make Felix's stomach turn, but he wouldn't dare turn down the only job opportunity in town...Heck, jobs were scarce enough as they were.

Sour Bill had led him into the grand lobby of the Sugar Rush, and Felix had to squint from all the bright lights attacking his eyes. Solid creme colored walls spattered with glitter in every color were what kept this building up, the support beams and furniture were all painted salmon, broken only by the presence of one golden elevator, sitting next to a typical pink one.

"Where's that fancy elevator lead, Sour Bill?" Chuckled Felix.

"Please don't call me that. And it leads to the King's private quarters; go near it and you'll be fired, just like that" He said, flatly.

Felix was beginning to sweat, it really was all work and no play here...and he hadn't even gotten to his post yet! He relaxed a little as they entered a dim room, soft neon lights lined the area and a grand silver entrance could be seen at the end of the room.

"This is where you'll be working." Mumbled the butler

Felix paused, shocked. "All...Alone?"

Bill scoffed. "No. You get the pleasure of working with...Ralph. He will continue the remainder of your tour; mainly because I have better things to do. Goodbye."

The young man held out his hand to try and get Bill to stop, but he raced away. Jeepers... This job was sounding more and more shifty by the minute. He turned towards the doors and gulped, not sure of what he would find.

* * *

Another slow day. Ralph sat down at the main counter in the arcade, resting his chin on his hand and sighing. There were never really any customers on Mondays, which made the days even worse, believe it or not. He could handle dealing with kids all day; heck, he even kind of enjoyed it. What he DIDN'T enjoy was how on slow days, King Candy would come in there and bark orders at him, making him move everything around in the arcade by hand. It wasn't really a hassle, Ralph was 7 feet tall and weighed over 300 pounds, but it was just the idea behind it all. Ever since he had started working here after he graduated a year or two ago, the boss enjoyed walking in on a bi-daily basis and treating him and the other employees like shit. It was a wonder Ralph hadn't been fired already, considering he'd broken most of the glasses in here from frustration. But oh well. At least the day was almost over...

"Hello? Is anyone in here..." Called a dainty voice from the entrance. Ralph brightened up, hey, a kid must've come in here late at night, finally some action to his day. He got up from his spot behind the soda bar and walked over to the source of the sound, only to find out it was coming from a short skinny little guy with a worried look on his face. Ralph frowned when he noticed the guy's eyes widen and his jaw drop when he saw Ralph. Even he had to admit though, he did have a pretty intimidating physique.

"Whatta ya want?" He said, crossing his arms.

Felix stood there, stammering, a red glow creeping over his face. "I-I'm Felix...I'm your new co worker!" He said, bouncing up with a smile.

"Aye aye aye..." Said Ralph, massaging his temples. Great, a new guy for the boss to pick on. "How'd you get shoehorned into a crappy job like this?" He said, raising his eyebrows.

Felix face instantly drooped. "Wh-what?"

Noticing how upset he made the little man, Ralph waved it off "sorry, sorry. Its nothing. Well have fun I guess." He said, and marched back to his spot behind the bar, only about 20 minutes left to his work day. He looked at the frightened little guy observing the place, and rolled his eyes. Probably just another co worker whose going to avoid him and blame everything on him, just like the last 5.

He dropped his head onto the cold metal table, sighing heavily, when he felt a poke on his back. He looked up and was eye to eye with the new employee.

"So! What's your name friend? Mine is Felix...People call me Fix-it Felix though around these parts!" beamed the bubbly little brunette. He was smiling ear to ear and had a dumb twinkle in his pretty ocean blue eyes.

Ralph scolded himself for noticing that. "I'm Ralph. Now go away." He said, turning his back on Felix. He was persistent though, and bounded around the counter to meet his tall companion face to face.

"So...I was thinking... Maybe since you say this job is really stressful...We could work together! as friends...and maybe make the day go by a little faster!" He said, looking down and twiddling his thumbs nervously.

Ralph huffed "I don't need friends." He said as he got up and walked towards the arcade, he guessed he'd get a game in before closing time, he loved these machines anyways. One of the only perks of this job was getting free access to all these games. He turned around and noticed his co worker sulking in the bar, he almost felt guilty after seeing that look in his eyes, but he shook his head and slipped a coin into his favorite game- Repair it Roger. He was getting into it, and by the 12th level he could tell he was forming a small audience. He huffed again, turning around annoyed "Listen kid, are you gonna follow me around all day or wha-"

He paused mid sentence when he was the smile and glow in Felix's eyes, he hopped up excitedly. "Wow! I've never seen anyone get this far into this game before.. or at least, I haven't personally" He chuckled, running a hand through his perfect hair "That's really amazing though! how far have you gotten before?" asked the excited little man.

Surprised at this sudden interest in game playing, Ralph crossed his arms and smiled "Level 24." he announced proudly. In all honesty that wasn't even that impressive, but hey, it was still something.

"I've only made it to seven..." Admitted the new worker. Ouch, even most of the kids Ralph knew could get it to at least level ten.

He chuckled "So you like games?"

Felix lit up "Well yeah...Well, kind of...I really like retro games...Mostly because I'm really kind of terrible at newer games.." He sighed, recalling his recent attempt to beat super mario galaxy. "But i sure do try!" He said proudly.

Ralph laughed, he was starting to like this kid, he had some pep to him. And to be honest he couldn't really help himself from staring into those blue eyes.

Snapping back to reality, Ralph checked his watch, happy for a chance to turn away before the younger man saw him blushing. "Its 30 minutes past closing...yeesh." He said.

He jumped when he heard Felix squeak. "Oh my land! The last bus left! How am I going to get home?!" He shouted.

"What, ya dont have a ride?" Asked the larger man

Felix silently nodded no.

Ralph sighed, tapping his finger on the game next to him. "Well...you know I guess I can drive you if you live nearby or somethin" He said, quickly looking away.

"Well, I live on the edge of the Niceland forest...I don't know if that's okay..." Stammered the carpenter.

"Hey, thats fine, I live In the forest. SO yeah I guess I can give ya a ride home." Said the big guy, leaning against a game called "honey rush".

Felix jumped up and smiled, running over and wrapping his arms around Ralph. "Oh, thank you so much! I would have had to have slept on park bench...Wow, what a lifesaver!"

Ralph blushed to the touch and squirmed away before he got too comfrotable "Yeah yeah, dont mention it Felix. Now let's get to my car, OK?"

Felix nodded and bounced off ahead. Ralph watched him pause at the end of the room and call "You comin Ralph?"

"Yeah...Just lemme catch up!" He called back. Aughhhh... Why did King Candy have to hire someone so cute?


	2. Chapter 2

Felix stepped out into the cool summer night air, enjoying the sharp breeze that ran past him. The building inside was stuffy and the heavy sweet aroma was beginning to make his head spin, so he was happy to finally be out. He looked around the big lot, it was much emptier now that it was so late out; only a few cars sat in the driveway. "Ralph? Are you comin?" He said cheerily, turning around to search for his new companion.

His large friend lumbered up behind him, catching his breath "Hey, Felix, do you think you could maybe run a little bit slower or somethin?" He asked, inhaling deeply.

The smaller young man turned around to face him bashfully, craning his neck up to meet his new co worker in the eyes "Jeepers, Sorry about that Ralph! I guess I'm just kind of excited, finding this job was sort of important to me" He said, fidgeting his hands.

Ralph let out a sigh. He didn't have the heart to explain to the little guy that every day at the Sugar Rush grand hotel might as well have been a day of being King Candy's personal slave. But hey; why would he want to ruin a good mood like his, it would practically be a crime to say anything to wipe that smile off his face.

He felt a tug on his sleeve "Hey, Ralph! You kind of zoned out on me there" He said with a chuckle before noticing how tattered his partners clothes were "Jiminy jaminy, quite a tear you've got on the old sleeves there!" Ralph froze to the touch as Felix's small hands poked and prodded at his biceps.

Quickly snatching his arm away he looked up as to not let his new friend see his red face "Uh, yeah. They really only gave me like 3 uniforms and I ended up ripping most of them from all of the stuff they have me do." he said, recalling the countless times his boss would ask him to move this heavy sofa there, or rearrange his throne room.

"I thought I was going to be serving soda to minors!" said Felix as he riffled his mouse brown hair in frustration, letting out a heavy sigh. "Not to sound like a total lightweight, but I'm not exactly the bee's knees when it comes to lifting and moving and stuff of the sort" Felix wasn't exactly weak, but his expertise was more in doing minor detail work. He looked up at the big guy next to him, sure he could handle it, even if he was a little tubby, he still had strong looking arms.

Ralph chuckled, of course he wasn't; the guy was over a foot smaller than he was and pretty scrawny to boot. He patted Felix on the back "No worries, they only make me do that kind of stuff" he huffed, somewhat sadly. "Now let's get to my car" He said, pressing a set of buttons on his keychain several times before they finally worked.

A beeping noise could be heard from across the vast empty parking lot, and eventually Felix's eyes rested on a dinky old rust stained car that must have been at least a few decades old. Upon getting closer to it, he noticed that some of the wheels were in less than stellar shape. "Uhm, I don't mean to sound like a wet blanket, but are you sure your car is safe?" he said, picking at some of the peeling paint on the side of the door and fidgeting as he noticed a hude dent in the front of the vehicle.

"What're you tryin to say?" Asked Ralph, raising an eyebrow as he unlocked the doors and the two of them scooted inside; although it took Ralph a bit longer due to his size and having to squeeze through the small door.

"Wellll! It's just that, it's a bit creaky..." He said, running his finger along one of the plastic components, accidentally breaking it off "I'll fix that!"

Ralph ran one of his large hands down his face "It's fine! but yeah don't worry I'll get ya back home safe and sound" He said, tapping the steering wheel with a smile. "This thing may be old, but I'd never try driving you home in anything I think would be able to kill ya" he said, wincing at his word choice.

"Oh, why thank you Ralph!" Said the small man, giving his hair a relieved ruffle "...Wait why are you taking off your shoes?" Asked the suddenly confused little man

"I just kind of prefer running around like this, only ever wear em when I'm at work really." He chuckled, trying to keep up his smile. Damn, he thought to himself, half an hour in and he'd already freaked out his new friend. He sighed "I guess I'd better get drivin then huh."

Felix nodded "That'd be super!" he said as he battled the strange feeling of butterflies in his stomach. He could't quite figure out why he felt like this; he wasn't particularly afraid of his new coworker or his odd driving habits, but it was a different feeling, something he wasn't quite able to put his finger on.

* * *

The ride home from the heart of the city was a long one, Felix lived at the very edge of the suburbs and it was at least a 30 minutes drive. For the first ten minutes of that ride the duo drove in absolute silence, Ralph mentally kicking himself for ruining it with someone so fast. He knew he wasn't exactly a people person, but he had never repulsed someone this fast. Then again, nobody had really even given him the time of day like this in a long time.

He sighed and began to scowl, it was all he really deserved really, from the second this poor guy gave him a second of attention he had been all over him, heck this kid probably though he was some kind of creep. He glanced over at Felix expecting to be met with a frightened face only to be surprised when he was met with a worried look and those shining blue eyes again. Ralph quickly turned away clearing his throat.

He jumped a little when he felt that same pair of soft hands touch his shoulder. "Hey, Ralph? Please don't be upset, I didn't mean to break your car or call it trashy, heck, its actually pretty great!" Said Felix, ignoring the constant bump and uneven slant of the dangerous vehicle as it spun around on the highway.

Ralph glanced over to him and smiled "Don't worry, You didn't do nothin to make me mad. I'm the one who should be apologizing for getting all quiet." He said, suddenly feeling like a giant idiot for even getting upset in the first place.

"Don't worry, I haven't exactly been the chattiest either...Not sure why" Felix laughed as he wrapped his arms around himself. "So, how long have you been working at the arcade?" Asked the little guy

Ralph gave his arm a scratch "Uh, about two years I guess, since I graduated. Not really a great choice I know." He said, rolling his eyes at himself.

"Graduated from college? Gee, with a degree I'm not sure if i would have ran right into the service industry myself" Felix said with an awkward sigh.

"What? No! I mean from highschool. I'm only 20, how would I even find the time to do all of that in 2 years? How old did you think I was kid?" Said Ralph, turning off of the highway and turning his head to meet Felix eye to eye.

Felix twiddled his thumbs "Oh, I don't know. You just have a very...Adult appearance!" He stammered, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Ralph laughed a little "I can't blame you, I guess I do kind of look...'adult" he quoted, raising his hands to make little quotation marks. This made Felix relax a little. "So you're like what? 18? How come I never saw you around before?" He said, never recalling seeing Felix in the halls of his school.

The younger man toyed with one of the buttons on his crisp blue shirt "Well, you got the age right, but up until now my father's been sending me to private school. Only the best for a fix-it, as he would always say..."

Ralph scoffed "Wish I coulda been that lucky. Not to say my mom didn't want the best for me too, were just kind of strapped on cash...you know...living in the forest and all"

Felix beamed "Oh, lucky you! I've always loved the forest. Heck, I knew I could smell it on you. That piney scent. I just live in the niceland condominiums, nothing to see there except buildings and city lights" He sighed.

Well hey, that's a first, someone actually liking how he smelled. Ralph shook the thought out of his head "Hey, it's not all flowers and roses. I live next to the dump!" Ralph added, recalling the days when they would burn the trash and the awful odor that would creep into his house and make everything smell terribl.e

"Hmm! Well that's not too bad! I'm sure regardless of location, that you have a lovely home" Felix said, nervously rubbing his shoulders.

"Yeah yeah, thanks" said the large man, smiling "Hey, which way is your place?" He said, as they neared the edge of the niceland suburbs.

"Oh, just over there!" Shouted Felix, pointing his finger to the road to their right that led to the big building he lived in.

Ralph pulled his old car into the driveway, putting it into park with a sputter. He shifted his body to look at his new friend, giving him an awkward smile. "Well, we're here!" He announced, sighing a little.

"Oh...Yes" Said Felix, a bit disappointed that he had to go for some reason."Thank you so much for the ride...! I'm sorry I inconvenienced you for the night, you probably had other plans than chauffeuring silly old me around" Felix said with a chuckle.

"No...No, trust me, This didn't bother me at all, I didn't have anything else I'd rather be doing." He said, fumbling over his words as he noticed Felix beginning to grow a soft red glow over his face. He cleared his throat "Uhh, Hey I know this is kind of out of left field and it's a little late, but would you maybe wanna hang out tonight? My mom's making dinner and I doubt she'd mind having some company over...I mean, if you want to." Ralph said, wincing at how dumb that just sounded.

"Yeah, sure! It would be my pleasure" Said Felix, giving Ralph a side hug "Just let me run inside and tell my pops about it, I don't think he would cotton too well to me disappearing for the entire night without notice!" He said as he unraveled himself, reaching for the door. Hopefully his father wouldn't protest, seeing as it was already 10:30.

"Hey, Felix, uhm, thanks!" Replied his bigger friend, smiling happily. He watched as Felix got out of the car and raced up his driveway, knocking on the door to his home. Once the door opened, he turned around and held up his index finger, signaling that he'd be out in just a moment.

Ralph let out a happy sigh and rested his head on the steering wheel. Finally, a friend. And a Really sweet, cute one at that. Heck, he managed to stand being with Ralph for over an hour, maybe he wouldn't get scared off after all. He'd get to spend the rest of the evening with this cool little guy, and to think he thought today was going to suck. Ralph's eyes suddenly widened, remembering what his living conditions where like at home. "Gah...I hope my mom doesn't ruin this for me" He said, recalling how she often had a bad habit of well...Babying her son.

* * *

Ralph was beginning to think that Felix was never going to get out of his house, it had been 5 minutes already and he was tapping his steering wheel impatiently. He was considering just driving off when he saw the front door of the complex open up with a small ray of yellow light as Felix walked out of building now wearing comfier clothes and a little blue cap his father had given him. He waved at Ralph and raced back to the car, opening the door and sitting down in one smooth motion.

"Wooh! Sorry I took so long, brother" He said, quickly fanning himself with the cap "My pops was just talkin my ear off about how proud he was of me, I KNEW I could prove to him I was a hard worker!" He said, smiling widely

"Well, Uh, Great job then!" he said, squinting at the small text on Felix's cap "Hey, whats that say?"

Felix took the cap off and handed it to his friend so he could get a closer look "it's just the logo for my family company we've had carpenters in our family for generations. I'm hoping someday my dad lets me work for him too." Said the small man proudly crossing his arms.

"The hats kind of small though" Ralph replied, trying to put it on his head. He turned around to see Felix laughing "Hey what's so funny?" He chuckled

Felix couldn't help but laugh at how small the hat looked on top of his large friend, his messy dark brown hair sticking out every which way. "Oh, You're such a jokester" He said, slapping his knee "By the way, ho far do you live again? My pops said I have to be home by 1" he said, smiling embarrassed.

Ralph smiled "What, you still have a curfew? Don't worry, it's just up this road...pretty close actually." He said, recalling the short path home in his head It was a single dusty old road that spiraled up a hill in the woods that lead to the main dump, but around it were small houses and other residential stuff. Pretty quiet neighborhood really, Ralph couldn't complain.

The drive was in fact pretty fast, aside form a few jokes directed at each other the duo didn't really have time to talk much before they were pulling into the driveway that lead to Ralph's home. It was a small brick house with wooden features, it looked pretty old and there were vines creeping up the sides, but it still looked pretty homey.

"Well, here we are, home sweet home!" Said Ralph as he turned off the car and gout out to stretch.

Felix took a deep breath, hoping to inhale the deep woodsy scent of nature but was met with a blast of garbage stench to the nose, he coughed a few times, tearing up "Jiminy Jaminy!"

Ralph raced to his side, wincing "ooooh, yeah I wouldn't do that. Maybe further away form the dump but were pretty close to it right now so yeah...not really healthy" he laughed, patting Felix on the back. "Let's get you inside" he said, then paused "Wait, I think I should warn you beforehand my mom's pretty...friendly"

Felix gave him an odd look "Why would that be a bad thing?

"Uhh...You'll see." Ralph said as they ran up to the door and Ralph inserted his keys into the hole, giving them a twist. He reached for the knob and turned it, unsuccessfully. He groaned, and tapped on the window next to the door "HEY MA. OPEN THE DOOR." He shouted.

Felix saw the figure of a thick woman moving around behind closed curtains "The doors stuck again Ralphie! I've been stuck in here all day!"

Ralph banged his head against the door "Ahh geeze.. Hey, Felix, stand back ok? I don't want you to get hurt or anythin" He said as he reared up a bit.

Felix obeyed, jumping onto the soft grass next to the door "Get hurt? Why would I get hur-" He flinched as the loud crack of wood could be heard as Ralph slammed into the door, knocking it off it's hinges.

He huffed "That's why" He said, brushing a few scraps of wood off his shoulder, he turned to look at felix and gestured for him to follow "cmon, the foods probably getting cold." he said, smiling.

Felix nervously scuttled past the broken front door as he heard Ralph telling his mom to get the duct tape. He looked around, it was a pretty warm interior, lots of simple brown furniture and warm reds. Overall it was a pretty cozy place! He was just starting to get comfortable as he felt a strong pair of arms lift him up into a hug.

"Hello sonny! What's your name?" Said the smiling brunette woman, She was shorter than Ralph but still taller than Felix was, who was squirming in her grasp.

"Oh, uh! I'm Fix-it Felix Jr. Ma'am!" He said struggling for breath in her tight grip.

Ralph walked around the corner and dropped his keys "Ma! What're you doing?!" He shouted, as she set down his friend.

"Oh, I'm just becoming acquainted with your new friend! He looks like a sweetie!" She turned to Felix "Oh, how rude of me! Let me introduce myself, I'm Ralph's mother, you can just call me mama if you want though. Oh , this is so exciting! Ralphie hasn't brought anyone home in ages."

"Ma stop it you're embarrassing me in front of my friend!" He said, grabbing Felix's shoulder and standing him up next to him. He looked down at Felix "c'mon, were going to my room, She ordered Pizza anyways" He said as they turned tail and walked out of the living room.

"If you're still hungry flee free to help yourself to a cookie!" called back the happy woman as Ralph shut the door behind them. He rested his back against the door sighing, and turned to face Felix "Sorry about that, like I said, she gets a little...excited. Don't really have company often" He chuckled, putting his thumbs into the pockets of the pants he was wearing.

Felix smiled "Oh it's no problem Ralph, shes very nice! I can see where you get it from" He said, as he walked over to his host.

"Well I wouldn't say I'm nice or anything...Uh, anyways, here's my room! Make yourself at home or something" He said, smiling.

Felix looked around, there was clothes thrown around but besides that Ralph managed to keep his room surprisingly clean. He had a mattress tossed on the floor, it was one of those retro circular ones. Felix quickly flopped onto it "Yeesh! This things kind of hard." He said as he felt Ralph sit down next to him, already starting on eating a slice of the pizza.

"Yeah, it's not really the newest bed in town..." he said, passing the box towards the carpenter as they sat together. "Hey wanna play a game or something " He gestured over to his tv, which had at least 3 or 4 different newer consoles plugged in.

"Oh, that'd be lovely! But, I kind of can't play newer games for the life of me" Felix said, worrying his hands.

"That's fine, Ill find us an easy one." Ralph called back, already sorting through his collection. He eventually pulled out a generic fighting game for the wii and waved it at the little guy "You think you could handle this?"

Felix nodded back "Yeah! I'm usually ok with most simple games" He said, fiddling with the controller as Ralph tossed it to him.

After a few minutes they had the game up and running, Felix had chosen the most simple character to control, according to his larger friend. "Am I winning yet?" He asked as he walked off the edge of the stage.

Ralph winced "I thought you said you knew how to play this one?" He looked over at Felix's confused face "aye aye aye. Need me to teach you how to play it?"

Felix nodded, Ralph scooted up behind him and wrapped his arms around him, grabbing the controller to point out a few buttons. "So...First of all you're holding it upside down.. This buttons to attack, that ones to run. Just don't run off the edge again" he chuckled, and looked down to see that Felix was looking up at his face.

Ralph blushed, trying to sound serious "Uhm...What's the matter?" He said as Felix turned back down to look at the controller and put his small hands around Ralph's larger ones.

"Oh, I just like looking at people when I'm being explained things to" He said, Ralph still frozen form the touch. "But thank you! I think I get it now!" he said. They sat there like that for a moment before Ralph scooted back. "So, you ready to start again?" He said, cheerily.

Felix sighed, feeling oddly displeased that the moment had ended.

"You bet, brother!"

* * *

Time had flown, after eating and playing a few rounds of a few different games, the duo had flopped onto the bed and just sat there talking for about an hour. Ralph hadn't had company like this in a long time, so he was more than happy for it, even if he was tired. He yawned and looked at the clock. It was 1: 20 AM already. He nudged Felix, who was dozing off.

"Hey, Felix! It's past 1 already. We need to get you home I guess... and we have work tomorrow too" he recalled, rubbing his temples at the thought.

Felix bounced up "Jeepers, time sure did fly!" he turned to face the other man "Well, it sure was fun! Thank you Ralph." He said, jumping off the bed but stopping in his tracks when he remembered the word work. "Uh, what time do I have to be in by?"

Ralph scratched his head "The arcade usually opens by like, noon, but we have to be in there early for cleaning and prep and stuff" He sighed "So like... 11?"

Felix groaned, then smiled "Oh well, a bright start to a bright day I suppose! But yikes... They didn't even give me a uniform."

"Yeah...I'll have to order them tomorrow for ya" Ralph added as he sat up on the bed "I mean... I guess if you want you could borrow one of mine?"

"Aww, thank you! You really are a life saver!" laughed the little man, bouncing up and heading for the door. "Now lets hurry, I'm sure my dad's going to be cross with me if I dilly dally much longer."

Ralph got up and grabbed a shirt form the floor, tossing it to Felix. He knew it would be huge on him, but it's better than having kind candy griping at him or even firing him early for not being in proper attire. He watched as Felix slung it on, it was like a blanket on him.

"So, how do I look?" he said, and they shared a laugh. Ralph picked up his keys again and escorted his co worker out of his door, they quietly tiptoed through the house; Ralph's mom had fallen asleep watching soap operas on the couch again. Once they finally got outside they both inhaled.

"Hmm! It smells better out here now" mentioned Felix

"Yeah, they probably finished burning garbage or whatever." He replied, noticing that the odor of garbage had been dulled down by the usual scent of the pine trees that surrounded his home.

They both jumped into the car, it was a pretty quiet ride as they were both tired, having been up all day. The fact that it was a Monday night didn't help much either.

When Ralph finally pulled into the driveway he heard Felix squeak "Golly! I must have forgotten my hat in your room"

"ahh crap" He said out loud, shocking the younger man with his potty mouth "I'll just give it to you tomorrow at work I guess"

Felix patted his lap nervously "I seem to have forgotten that I needed to get a ride to work somehow..." He looked up at Ralph expectantly

He sighed "I'll be here to pick you up at 10 30, OK?" He said, and Felix nodded. They sat there for a few seconds in silence before Ralph spoke up again. "So, I'll see you then." He smiled, but dropped his expression when he felt Felix wrapping his arms around him.

"Thanks so much for helping me out today, you really made the whole thing a lot less nerve wracking." He said, and Ralph slowly returned the hug.

"It's not problem, I had fun too...thanks for that." He said and turned to face the little had both tried doing this at the same time though and they ended up bumping noses with eachother. They both shared a laugh, but then paused.

Felix didn't budge an inch, he was suddenly filled with this odd feeling, he didn't really want to acknowledge it, but he thought he had finally figured out what it was. He looked at Ralph's big but awkwardly cute face, it was turning bright red, lips parted slightly.

Feeling frazzled Felix quickly gave his friend one last squeeze form the hug, and let his hand drop into Ralph's. He hopped back in his seat"I'll see you tomorrow, Ralph" he said, holding one of his his cheeks to hide the blush.

Ralph couldn't stop looking down at their hands anyways. He couldn't believe it was happening. He looked up at Felix again, stuttering, but smiling "Yeah, you got it!"

Felix smiled and slowly took his hand back, racing up the driveway and knocking on his door, giving one last wave.

Once he was out of sight, Ralph let out a long, deep sigh. This had been one of the best nights ever, and the best part was that he got to see him again tomorrow. His eyes shot open and he huffed, looking at the time. 2 Am already. So much for getting a good nights rest.


End file.
